This morning I was listening to a podcast about a woman who left Hollywood, moved to Fiji, and ended up rethinking how investment works from the ground up. Hearing her made me hopeful - in a specific way. That's what a voice from outside your world can do. It changes the altitude from which you see your own situation. That's the seed of the Lighthouse Talks - and the first one is this Tuesday, 28 April, free and online.
For the female founder, the creative entrepreneur, and the local business owner who is pouring her heart into her work but feeling overwhelmed, overstretched, and under-rewarded.
Running a business can be a lonely journey. You're the visionary, the maker, the marketer, and the bookkeeper, all rolled into one. But when the weight of it all leads to burnout, it's time for a new approach.
This morning I was listening to a podcast about a woman who left Hollywood, moved to Fiji, and ended up rethinking how investment works from the ground up. Hearing her made me hopeful - in a specific way. That's what a voice from outside your world can do. It changes the altitude from which you see your own situation. That's the seed of the Lighthouse Talks - and the first one is this Tuesday, 28 April, free and online.
I reached out to someone last week, in the middle of everything that’s been happening in Ireland. I asked: “Can I support you? What do you need?” They were surprised. And grateful.
We’re all getting very good at being grand. At wearing the mask for work, for the children, for the sake of keeping things together. But at night, it slides off — and there’s nobody there to hold us.
This post is for anyone who’s lying awake, not quite knowing how to be. The real face has been there all along.
When business feels stuck, our instinct is to push harder — more hours, more marketing, more effort. But sometimes, what’s needed isn’t action — it’s perspective.
Drawing on the Two Loops Model by Margaret Wheatley and Deborah Frieze, I explore how businesses, like living systems, grow, peak, and evolve. Through Rachel’s story at Mix Coworking, you’ll see how pausing to reflect, reorient, and redesign can turn uncertainty into clarity and bring renewed energy to your work.
What happens when the version of you that once felt confident no longer exists?
This piece explores how life transitions can shake our sense of self — and how, especially when building meaningful work, a lack of confidence may not be a weakness, but a sign that you’re stepping off the beaten track and into something new.
Blow-Ink. met on Tuesday mornings at Clonakilty Library, with a hunger for connection and writing. The group was small but deeply invested in sharing work, translating and writing new work in both English and their mother tongues. We had participants from France, Spain, Poland, Pakistan, Mauritius, Israel and Ukraine. This zine is the result not only of the workshops, but also the energy, enthusiasm and artistic talent of the group.
Many business owners feel caught between two competing needs: the freedom to create and the discipline of structure. Too much structure can stifle energy; too much flow can create chaos.
What if your business isn’t a machine to control, but a living system to nurture?
In this article, I explore how sustainable businesses thrive when flow and structure work together — and how finding that balance can bring more clarity, resilience, and growth to your work.
Many local business owners have shared how they feel swamped by competing businesses and family needs. With rapid external influences such as AI, technological advancements, global instability, and communication overload, staying clear and focused is a daily challenge. The Hedgehog concept, adapted from Jim Collins ’ book Good to Great, can help us find a dynamic focus that brings clarity and helps us make strategic decisions.
When I heard that our WhatsApp group was “too busy,” my first reaction was panic. Had I ruined something that mattered?
Instead of reacting, I used the Double Diamond design thinking process to pause, reflect, and redesign my communication. What I discovered changed the way I make decisions in my business — especially when feedback feels uncomfortable.
This is a story about clarity, courage, and refusing to make decisions from stress.
Celebrating six months of Her Circle, we’re marking International Women’s Day with a community climb up Knockomagh Hill overlooking Lough Hyne. Open to everyone — women and men — this gathering is a celebration of women, care-centred business, and a hopeful future rooted in balance and belonging. Join us on March 8th.
